After a lot of persuasion from friends I finally picked up a copy of Seth Godin’s Linchpin this week. Just a few chapters in it is already a book that changes the way I view my position. However something struck me this morning. Why can a company itself not serve as a Linchpin for the community as a whole?
We were recently selected as Arkansas Business of the Year in a night that was equally euphoric as it was humbling. When I consider how fortunate we were to even make the cut as one of the five finalists, I naturally look at the efforts of our staff, and the loyalty of our clients. Both combine to allow us to provide high energy, creative solutions in a enthusiastic way.
As I explore further the reasons for our success, I cannot ignore the role technology has played along the way. Throughout our 44 year history, we’ve tried to walk fine line between being on the “leading edge” of technology, without crossing over into the “bleeding edge”. And during 2009, we made the leap into the realm that is called Social Media.
Let’s start with some statistics:
1) According to Pira International, the total global digital printing market has grown 122% since 2002, and by 2012, it is expected to double again, accounting for 21% of the overall global printing market as a whole.
2) Today, 30% of print providers offer web-to-print services. (CAPV)
3) 30% of today’s digital work is versioned or personalized. (Interquest)
What I hear loud and clear from these facts is that the future of print is healthy. As the economic situation in our country continues to force companies to tighten their belts and their budgets, the efficiencies of digital printing become more and more critical to a company’s marketing strategy. Let’s take a brief look at the how and why:
Now we enter the week after the big iPad announcement. There have been tons of talk about how the iPad will revolutionize the book and newspaper industry, but what does it do for the other side of print?
Here are 3 ways I think the iPad will change the print marketing industry for the better.
Accessibility for small business: I’ve worked in small and larger business. In marketing print large business has one key advantage, you can print the thing out, show it around, and get a feel for what the final product will look like. In small businesses you are typically running desktop quality printers that can’t even print clip art right much less high quality graphics.
The iPad is geared at reproducing print quality, which is why they are pitching books and magazines. The iPad gives you a chance to create an ad or a marketing piece, look at it on your iPad for a closer match than your desktop monitor or printer, move it over to your boss if needed for approval, and email it to the printer, all from the same device.
Move from print to web: I talked recently about how QR codes help move people from print to web. While the iPad does not have a camera for QR codes (a camera does not fit the iPad business model) it does provide one more easy to use device that can move people from print to web.
The iPad offers a much better keyboard (overcomes the lack of camera) and can enable an even better web experience than an iPhone.
Personalization: With HTML5 support, large touch screen, and potentially more (with iPhone OS 4) the possibilities are really limitless with how you can personalize your marketing experience to the customer.
Imagine they get a direct mail, go to their URL on their iPad, and suddenly they can be immersed in a full interactive experience.
Above all don’t believe the negative press the iPad is getting, remember the same things were said about this little worthless gadget called the iPod. The iPad has the opportunity to revolutionize all forms of print. Building it into your print marketing model has the potential to put you ahead in the changing marketing landscape.
Greg Henderson is marketing and social media professional with 8 years marketing and online experience. Greg has worked with several companies focusing on integrating online and offline marketing.
Recently we invited our good friend, @simonslee, to speak to us about Customer Service. His engaging and entertaining remarks were summarized in two simple words: No Surprises! When it comes to superior customer service, there should be absolutely No Surprises. We all nodded in agreement, and decided we had a new mantra for 2010.
Upon sharing (via Twitter) a few of Simon’s comments, I received an immediate response from another good friend, @amybhole. Her response, too, was summarized in two words, “I disagree”. Amy went on to say that “surprises are the cornerstone of excellent customer service”.
An interesting discussion via Twitter soon followed. What became obvious were two different perspectives on the topic of surprises. And both of them are equally correct.
When it comes to product fulfillment, certain specific expectations exist. Product price, quality, and delivery date are just a few of the terms that allow no room for surprises. We expect that our FEDEX package will be delivered the next day. If we are surprised, it is an unpleasant experience.
On the other hand, business (and life) is full of so many pleasant surprises. As Simon agreed while contradicting his original concept, “I find myself regularly able to do things to surprise customers that are spontaneous and unscripted”. Amy adds that, “being small, independent and upscale gives us the flexibility to surprise even ourselves from time to time!” And since 1912, Cracker Jacks has promised us the ever-present “surprise inside”.
So was @simonslee’s original challenge wrong? Was @amybhole right? (That question, by the way is rhetorical. Everyone knows that @amybhole is ALWAYS right!)
Yes. And Yes. As a product provider, we strive to eliminate unwelcome and unforeseen surprises. Our processes must ensure that the products arrive on time, are of superior quality and are produced as indicated by agreed upon terms. That is the bare minimum. As we continue to transform our business into one that provides services, we now look for spontaneous and unscripted ways to surprise clients. But businesses cannot achieve those pleasant surprises until they have fully implemented the “No Surprises” program during the production process.
And at that point, and this is where I disagree with @amybhole (Lord, help me!), it will certainly come as no surprise to us.
What are your experiences with surprises (good or bad)? Please share with us and you may be eligible to receive your own surprise.
Paul Strack is the president of CustomXM. Paul has become a leader in the print industry for his integration of social marketing into the company’s overall marketing strategy.
By 2010 I was hoping I would be done talking about the recession. Over the past year I’ve had several friends ask me about how and why to market in a down economy. The fact is that most successful companies grow through marketing in the latter half of a recession. Even more amazing is that a large percentage of Fortune 100 companies were actually formed during an economic downtown.
By marketing in a down economy you can put yourself ahead of the competition when the economy recovers. The trick to marketing in a downturn is to market smart. Any idiot can market in a booming economy, when people are willing to spend money all you have to do is show them how. In a bad economy though you have to market smart and show people why to spend money. I typically give out 5 tips to market smart in a down economy:
Integrated marketing is what most forward thinking companies strive to achieve with marketing efforts. However a large gap exists between print and web making integration difficult. The use of QR codes in print advertising and marketing can help bridge this gap.
Welcome to 2010, I think this is going to be a very good year compared to the one we just made it through. Few have had a worse year however than the print industry. Which is why I am a little surprised to be here writing this for CustomXM. See I grew up in the digital age, marketing directors like myself have basically killed print. In developing my skill I embraced the computer monitor, and swore off paper. I met Paul Strack from CustomXM and found some of the neat things he was doing merging technology with printing. I quickly realized that I was wrong to abandon print all together. Print is not dead, print is in the process of being reborn. The print we knew 10 years ago is dead, in it’s place however is something much better.
This blog will serve as a mix of things to help you understand this new reborn print industry. I will focus on some tips that I’ve been able to pick up, ways to enhance marketing through print, some case studies that Paul will share to show how other companies have utilized print, and some behind the scenes views of the print shop. With this my hope is that through a better understanding and some strong examples you will be able to enhance your marketing.
A first of the year post would not be complete without a list of New Years resolutions, so here are mine for marketing:
1 - Step outside of the box and do something completely radical to market my company.
2 - Give back as much marketing insight (both success and failures) as possible.
3 - Enhance the tie between my print marketing and online marketing.
4 - Find some way to incorporate dimensional printing.
5 - Find a better way to utilize social media as a communications tool.
So those are the areas I plan on focusing in this year. Why not drop a comment and share some of yours, I’ll even give the best few a very awesome 2010 CustomXM calendar featuring local photographers like myself.
-Greg Henderson
